Most academic libraries have been closed in recent months. All of them around Chicago. Only open "virtually"--that's a weasel word. Sadly, I am no longer connected to a college university and cannot borrow directly from them.
So how are you borrowing academic books?
Interlibrary loans are gone, too. I can request academic journal articles that are scanned to me. Public libraries that have barely opened to closed stacks, have no books in my field JSTOR and other databases have some articles, but most are inaccessible except for paying. Their search functions are erratic and slow. So are you frustrated by this?
I have so much backlog on the 10,000 photos I have taken in the past year of manuscripts and other documents that I'm taking it as a welcome relief and time to work on the stuff I'm behind on.
I posted somewhere, earlier, about a friend who had all their stuff locked into a large library that gave people one day to get things out before closing in March.
She and a co-author were just starting to work on those materials; they had to completely re-focus their study plan and writing assignments so as not to lose time in submitting their draft.
It seems like "work-around" is the point...be nimble, be flexible, figure out options that use the resources you have, or--in my case--the ones you had stacked up awaiting your attention already.
Last I heard, the library my friend needs to get into may not open until the fall.
But they're making do and moving forward.
Good luck....
M.
My university's library collection in my field is... poor, so I've never really been able to rely on it. I've mostly been relying on my partner, who still has access to her PhD institution's holdings. That, and the usual sites. My field also has a FB page devoted to article/book requests, so I occasionally make use of that, too.
Although a lot of the material I want is usually available online, some of it isn't. When it isn't, I've had some success googling around, skimming via Google Books, or just directly emailing the author to request a copy.
Yes, Google Books is a useful resource.
It was even better when they stopped limiting pages on recently-published stuff....you're reading along and suddenly that most important, most interesting sentence....
....is part of the "page that has not been copied for your use"...
But it is useful for citations, etc., too.
Since Amazon never puts all the citation info in one place, googling a book title requires more digging to get the good stuff.
Of course, the library online catalogue will do that, too....
M.
Our Library is semi-open. You can call over and get admitted. Of course, its a small SLAC facility.
As far as ILL goes, I only sparingly use it, but from what others say, they can't get physical copies of books, but they can get another library to scan sections you need, though, due to staffing, it might take a while.
Our libraries are shut down. No news on when they will open back up.
Quote from: Aster on June 09, 2020, 10:38:19 AM
Our libraries are shut down. No news on when they will open back up.
All of our library staff has been furloughed until mid-August, so the library is completely closed with no book checkout, ILL, etc. The journal databases accessible through the library's website are still operational.
Pubic libraries are doing curbside pick-up or something similar, but the collection is not very academic-oriented.
Quote from: Myword on June 09, 2020, 09:37:57 AM
Most academic libraries have been closed in recent months. All of them around Chicago. Only open "virtually"--that's a weasel word. Sadly, I am no longer connected to a college university and cannot borrow directly from them.
So how are you borrowing academic books?
Interlibrary loans are gone, too. I can request academic journal articles that are scanned to me. Public libraries that have barely opened to closed stacks, have no books in my field JSTOR and other databases have some articles, but most are inaccessible except for paying. Their search functions are erratic and slow. So are you frustrated by this?
You can't go into our library, but you can request books. The librarians have set up a process where if you request a book or chapter online they will work through a series of options to get it to you. They first check to see if there is a free digital option, at least in my field, the National Emergency Library has a lot of older stuff available. If there's nothing free, they will buy an ebook if that's feasible. If not, they say they will arrange for delivery of either physical books or scanned chapters or articles. I haven't done that yet so I have no idea how well it works. I assume they must have a skeleton crew of people still on site.
Quote from: Myword on June 09, 2020, 09:37:57 AM
Sadly, I am no longer connected to a college university and cannot borrow directly from them.
Are there community borrower programs at the research places that are still open that might help?
Our research library is still available and fully staffed, although no one can go browse without permission. There's no physical ILL as far as I know, but we can make arrangements to pick up physical materials that are in our stacks. The online journal data bases are still available to people with log in credentials.
The library mission is supposed to be to bring people into the library, borrow materials, use services or attend programs. So now they are abandoning their mission almost totally. They take students, faculty and public for granted. Officially, they are declared nonessential places...maybe dispensable. Public libraries are considered recreational. Anyway, most residents do not use their library or even have a card. Fact. Nowadays, all students are on computers in academic libraries. Rarely, have I seen a student in the stacks, where I live. I don't fault them for that. What I am saying is that this crisis is a harbinger--handwriting on the wall that libraries are deadends and only optional, even with ebooks. (I never met a student who wanted to read an academic ebook.)
With all the precautions (and some may be unnecessary) librarians are doing ALL they can to keep people out. The motto should be Stay Away. Library users will suffer, but the bottom line is that most libraries will save money. And this is very important because they don't bring enough money in--so they are money losers. If they made money, they would be OPEN and doing swift business.
The only academic library near me that allows direct community borrowing is closed. And I live in a large metro area for academic libraries..
Knowing some librarians well enough, I'd say that they area (a) trying to work within budget constraints and local restrictions (b) trying to save lives during a pandemic by not being the usual focal point most libraries are. Most would like to get things about as back to normal as they can as soon as it makes sense to do so, which at my school is likely to be about 2 months from now.
I can understand libraries limiting access in order to promote social distancing. But I don't understand schools shutting their libraries down entirely. Those that have done so must really be hurting for money, and furloughing nearly all of their staff.
I also don't understand shutting down physical ILL. At most a physical item needs about a three-day quarantine before somebody else can use it. The trip through the mail handles most of that!
A lot of librarians have been very frustrated about not being able to offer our full normal range of services. We feel like we've been kept from picking up the slack from other institutions just when it was needed.
Quote from: apl68 on June 10, 2020, 11:02:06 AM
I can understand libraries limiting access in order to promote social distancing. But I don't understand schools shutting their libraries down entirely. Those that have done so must really be hurting for money, and furloughing nearly all of their staff.
I also don't understand shutting down physical ILL. At most a physical item needs about a three-day quarantine before somebody else can use it. The trip through the mail handles most of that!
A lot of librarians have been very frustrated about not being able to offer our full normal range of services. We feel like we've been kept from picking up the slack from other institutions just when it was needed.
I'd say the decision to close my university's library completely over the summer was probably 90% a financial decision -- i.e., the assumptions of "there are no students on campus, faculty are off contract and not teaching, the library staff isn't doing anything critical, furloughing them all will save a few hundred thousand dollars, and we need to cut operational expenses any way we can."
Quote from: apl68 on June 10, 2020, 11:02:06 AM
I can understand libraries limiting access in order to promote social distancing. But I don't understand schools shutting their libraries down entirely. Those that have done so must really be hurting for money, and furloughing nearly all of their staff.
I also don't understand shutting down physical ILL. At most a physical item needs about a three-day quarantine before somebody else can use it. The trip through the mail handles most of that!
A lot of librarians have been very frustrated about not being able to offer our full normal range of services. We feel like we've been kept from picking up the slack from other institutions just when it was needed.
Well, at many schools, the library stayed open for a while after classes ended. I have librarian friends who were pretty unhappy about being asked to put themselves and their staff in harm's way when everything else was shut down.
Initially ILL may have been shut down because of worries about infection, but I wonder if the challenges are more logistical now. It might just be that with lots of libraries fully shut, and most others operating with limited numbers of staff, it would just be too much of a logistical nightmare for everyone to try to service inbound and outbound ILL requests.
My university library has been shut down since the third week of March. There was a week after classes migrated to remote/online learning and the campus was shut down entirely that one could go to the library.
I live within a half hour from at least three world-class research libraries, and a smaller number of decent academic libraries. They have been all closed since March, as has the local library.
My library, to be honest, is not all that good for my own research. However, I have probably used the library a fair bit since it closed because they have expanded their database access. This helped to prepare a summer school class I am teaching, and also get articles for my own research.
The local library system--one of the best in the country--has made many resources available online, and I have used many of its databases in my own work.
I have ordered some books through Amazon that I probably would have just gone to the library to check out before (think standard history books that most graduate students have read).
The biggest problem is finding obscure articles or books. I still have one ILL for pick-up at my school library since March, and who knows when I will be able to pick it up. I have taken to emailing some authors to see if they have electronic copies of their articles from 40 years ago. Some actually do.
In terms of ILL, I understand that actually sending physical books or articles is probably impossible given the fact that many librarians are working from home. That said, I don't see why my school's ILL cannot order articles, etc., which often come in electronic form any way.
Luckily I have been able to switch my research from more archival research to an emphasis on published sources. I am hoping the libraries open sometime in the near future.
We just got an email today that my CC's libraries are available to faculty, students, and staff--they will mail us books, DVDs, etc. that we request, with those being sent out on Mondays and Thursdays (so presumably a skeleton crew working in the closed libraries on a limited basis).
They also reminded us of their very robust online/phone/chat programs, one-on-one training and help, etc. And the Missouri ILL services will be back available starting June 15.
(I love our libraries/librarians--easily the best I've ever used, including the two big-name privates and the state uni here in town.)
Quote from: AmLitHist on June 10, 2020, 11:45:00 AM
We just got an email today that my CC's libraries are available to faculty, students, and staff--they will mail us books, DVDs, etc. that we request, with those being sent out on Mondays and Thursdays (so presumably a skeleton crew working in the closed libraries on a limited basis).
They will mail these items to your home? Free of charge? Any limits on amount and frequency?
I am able to get things scanned to me from the library, but there is a few days delay. All and all, it is working fine. I am going over all the primary sources I scanned last year and it is all fine. I am actually writing.
Our library is open, intersession hours, card access only. They're scanning articles and chapters for faculty and students. They leased a streaming video for my spring class. Most staff are working remotely, with librarians are teaching classes online.
ILL for physical materials is closed. A librarian friend told me that original plan was to continue ILL, but so many libraries shut ILL down that over 90% of requests couldn't be filled. Same friend told me that our library is on university list for "open with minimal staffing between semesters" so when state designated universities as essential businesses, the university made library the computer access point for students who live locally. That's probably why library stayed open.
Quote from: Cheerful on June 10, 2020, 01:40:10 PM
Quote from: AmLitHist on June 10, 2020, 11:45:00 AM
We just got an email today that my CC's libraries are available to faculty, students, and staff--they will mail us books, DVDs, etc. that we request, with those being sent out on Mondays and Thursdays (so presumably a skeleton crew working in the closed libraries on a limited basis).
They will mail these items to your home? Free of charge? Any limits on amount and frequency?
No charge, and usual limits (i.e., unlimited for faculty, and limited checkout times for students). Our librarians have always been pretty good about pushing to have a lot of materials and resources available for us (currently we have 196 subscription databases, which is amazing for a CC). I'd imagine that their decreased PT and student salaries while they've been closed is being used to fund the mailings, at least in part.
I've posted this before, and it may not be entirely legal, but you can often find entire books (10 years old or older) posted somewhere on the Internet by putting the book title with "PDF" into Google. I've located a number of downloadable academic monographs that way.
If I need something on the fly, or if I need to decide if something is worthwhile, I often go to JStore or Academic Search Complete and look up a book review. These often include the most relevant quotations.
Good luck.
And I believe J-Stor's offer of 100 free downloads during quarantine is still good, yes?
M.
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
Quote from: delsur on June 11, 2020, 12:16:11 PM
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
Some stuff is available to everyone free of charge. The Emergency National Library has a lot of books that are more than 15-20 years old.
Quote from: delsur on June 11, 2020, 12:16:11 PM
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
Are there any colleagues in your field teaching at that school now? (Or former instructors?)
Could one of them get the materials out and scan a few pages for you?
M.
Quote from: Caracal on June 11, 2020, 12:50:15 PM
Quote from: delsur on June 11, 2020, 12:16:11 PM
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
Some stuff is available to everyone free of charge. The Emergency National Library has a lot of books that are more than 15-20 years old.
The Emergency National Library is going to reduce/stop providing books soon due to lawsuits and libraries beginning to re-open. I think June 15, but I deleted the email.
I asked librarian friend about alumni access to online databases last year. She said it would cost many thousands to add alumni to just one database, because the database companies charge extra for alumni.
I've heard that some databases are temporarily free without going through library. Just go straight to database website and try. My librarian friend calls this the drug dealer marketing technique - get people hooked with temporary freebie, so they'll pay or pressure library to pay when the freebie ends. Worth trying if you don't have library access.
Quote from: mamselle on June 11, 2020, 03:27:35 PM
Quote from: delsur on June 11, 2020, 12:16:11 PM
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
Are there any colleagues in your field teaching at that school now? (Or former instructors?)
Could one of them get the materials out and scan a few pages for you?
M.
Yes, I have some colleagues and I will have to turn to them at some point! I'm at a stage where I still have to locate my key materials so what I really need to do is a lot of browsing.
I am interested in where you guys are located? I am from Chicago area.
By the way, while I understand the need for safety, smaller colleges and universities could work out a compromise logistically, to permit ILL and keep the library open for limited hours and students. This could be done without much problem. It's about saving money and it is much easier simply to close doors to everyone. The bottom line becomes first priority.
Quote from: Vkw10 on June 11, 2020, 05:12:23 PM
Quote from: Caracal on June 11, 2020, 12:50:15 PM
Quote from: delsur on June 11, 2020, 12:16:11 PM
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
Some stuff is available to everyone free of charge. The Emergency National Library has a lot of books that are more than 15-20 years old.
The Emergency National Library is going to reduce/stop providing books soon due to lawsuits and libraries beginning to re-open. I think June 15, but I deleted the email.
I asked librarian friend about alumni access to online databases last year. She said it would cost many thousands to add alumni to just one database, because the database companies charge extra for alumni.
I've heard that some databases are temporarily free without going through library. Just go straight to database website and try. My librarian friend calls this the drug dealer marketing technique - get people hooked with temporary freebie, so they'll pay or pressure library to pay when the freebie ends. Worth trying if you don't have library access.
Thank you!
Quote from: delsur on June 11, 2020, 12:16:11 PM
I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.
I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.
To whom did you write at your PhD institution and did you just ask for alumni or did you try to work out a courtesy appointment that includes borrower privileges?
Your graduate advisor or other mentor might be able to get you a limited-term courtesy appointment (i.e., no money paid to you)that includes a temporary staff card that allows you standard borrowing privileges. You might have to jump a couple hoops to be right with the official paperwork, but it may be a possibility.
I've been extended temporary access for weeklong workshops at larger places, so the mechanism likely exists.
Is your library a member of any consortia? I remember being able to check out a limited term visitor's pass from one small library that was good at the state flagship several hours' drive away. That visitor's pass also allowed me to have limited access to electronic materials for the term of the "visit". The pass was necessary because the small library was only allowed a handful of exported visitors at a time under the consortium agreement.
You may also want to search for additional community borrowers programs that are farther away to see if any of them allow remote access or have better access.
If you have any contacts at the small library, then I would ask if any of them can get you a special favor at a larger library to have limited access to electronic materials. It's sometimes possible for special borrower privileges to be extended under little-used agreements that aren't widely advertised.
If you have any contacts as a regular community borrower at the larger library, then it might be worth asking if there are any special programs for an additional fee that you could get electronic access.
Great suggestions! Thank you.
I've been an independent scholar for several years, and am also suffering from limited access, especially now.
Have you asked all your past institutions about access? My PhD institution cuts alums off shortly after graduation, but my MA institution has more generous policies. It might be worth going back further if you haven't.
A few wonderful universities I've known (I don't know the Chicago region) still have library resources available if you are on campus wifi, even as a guest. I haven't tried in the pandemic, but if you have a local library that usually gives on-campus access, could you sit in the parking lot and download a pile of materials all at once?
ILL is the worst. I don't know if there is any recourse with so many public libraries closed, but when I lived in a very rural part of the South, I was startled but delighted to learn that my public library had an ILL service through the big state university ~1.5 hours away. It required filling out a lot of forms (per book!), but was a real godsend.
AR.
Quote from: AvidReader on June 13, 2020, 02:50:26 AM
ILL is the worst. I don't know if there is any recourse with so many public libraries closed, but when I lived in a very rural part of the South, I was startled but delighted to learn that my public library had an ILL service through the big state university ~1.5 hours away. It required filling out a lot of forms (per book!), but was a real godsend.
AR.
In our state the State Library provides ILL service for small-town libraries. We've used it some, and found it to work well. Haven't tried it since the COVID 19 mess started, though.
Not sure where else to post this, but I thought it might be useful: it's more about re-opening than closing, but the two procedures share a degree of complementarity...
I get emails from several research libraries and public libraries whose archives I've used.
I'm now getting several notes about their re-opening plans and procedures.
I thought it might be useful, since there are librarians on this list, to post what these libraries are sending out, in case any of their strategies are of any help or spark any ideas for those dealing with similar situations.
And if not, you can ignore it!
I opened the emails in separate browser pages, so the links are direct, I believe:
1) The British Library is sending a survey to ask patrons about their needs and preferences in re-opening:
https://britishlibraryemails.bl.uk/5JXV-1MTJ-E513LM508A/cr.aspx
the sign-up site for further info is at:
http://pages.email.nypl.org/nyplconnect?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NYPLConnect_20200317&utm_campaign=NYPLConnect
2) The [url]New York Public Library has both a recent note about re-opening info:
https://www.nypl.org/about/coronavirus
and (sorry for the long URL; I tried to use the link function but it wouldn't work):
http://view.email.nypl.org/?qs=5b142e769d52dd0e53d7dcc7e1cfb419e5021e26e8ef94f96c080d954b882f4380298040bbb364cf5cab4f09c7a2c7d8f88a542d123f6e6a7ca2975c506dcca3c59813aaa03e7b76dd5576d52dba373c
as well as the racial issues facing the country and the library's part in supplying information to address the issues:
http://view.email.nypl.org/?qs=d916e4f3f019ccd6f1a7a2d655f3406cc1c332a9dc5a222e98ce32c849f59e8bcdcae93bc90c769161e3b1e1f8a46a9181f01443c10847d461f1ecf7a9d473be5df5c9981e5dad84761bad58f629a88642d6351ba38ad4a7
3) The Boston Public Library has this information:
https://www.bpl.org/news/covid-19-update/
4) A local library program has been consistently well-planned throughout (including making some databases that are usually only available on-site open to public use for the duration): this just came out:
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101968623922&ca=bf262211-61bd-4d27-8da4-b93a122f53a5
5) The Bibliotheque Nationale/Richelieu (MSs) site:
https://www.bnf.fr/fr/actualites/covid-19-coronavirus-fermeture-de-lensemble-des-sites-de-la-bnf
(The English is a bit garbled, but it represents the French accurately enough...)
6) The KBR/Bruxelles:
https://www.kbr.be/en/
There are <<bibliophiles>> who like/collect books, and I'll confess to that categorization; maybe I'm also a <<bibliotheque-o-phile>> (one who likes/collects libraries)?
Anyway, just if it's useful.
M.